Belles Out-Dueled by Comets

Box Score

  • Kellen Hinchey notched her first collegiate goal while tallying an assist.
  • Liza Felix and Kate Vasile each added a goal.
  • Thallia Robles made nine saves for the Belles.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - In a game which featured 10 combined goals, the Saint Mary's soccer team fell short by a 7-3 margin on Saturday afternoon.

The Belles put pressure on the Comets from the starting whistle. Liza Felix had a well-played ball run along the endline and through the box toward Juliana De Ona in the third minute of play, but the sophomore's attempt at a sliding shot just missed its connection with the ball. It was not much longer, however, until Saint Mary's lit up the scoreboard. Mary Wandor carried the ball up the left flank and cut toward the middle of the field before sending in a cross toward the face of the goal. De Ona pulled the defense away from the ball, and Kellen Hinchey was able to make an unmarked run into the box for the easy tap-in goal in the fifth minute.

Olivet drew even in the 13th minute, but the Belles nearly regained the lead just a short while later. Felix put another pass into dangerous territory in the 15th minute of action only to have the effort come up empty-handed without a supporting offensive player in close vicinity to the pass. The Comets pulled ahead in the 32nd minute after capitalizing on a mis-hit clear by the Belles turned into a goal off the bottom of the crossbar for an Olivet midfielder.

The Belles earned a corner kick in the closing minutes of the first half. Hinchey had a well-struck cross find its way in front of the goal at the top of the six-yard box, but neither Kate Vasile nor Kay Thursby were quite able to get enough behind the ball for a shot as Olivet took a 2-1 lead into the halftime break.

Liza Felix drew Saint Mary's even with Olivet in the 54th minute after the senior coolly deposited a penalty kick into the back of the net to make it 2-2. The Comets posted back-to-back goals over the next eight and a half minutes of play and extended their advantage to 5-2 in the 71st minute on a penalty kick goal of their own.

The Belles regained some momentum on a set piece in the 79th minute. Hinchey hit another solid corner kick well into the box where it found its way to Kate Vasile. The senior put a light redirect flick on the ball and into the net to make it a 5-3 game with 11:26 remaining. Olivet, however put the game well out of reach with a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes of play for the 7-3 final score.

"The scoreline is not indicative of how the match was played," said head coach Jesse Urquhart. "The conditions were not ideal, but the Belles worked hard, played aggressive, and played with great class. I'm disappointed in the results, but I don't want to overlook the ladies' effort and professional manner in which we played."

Kellen Hinchey tallied the first goal of her collegiate career while picking up an assist to lead the Belles. Liza Felix and Kate Vasile each chipped in a goal, and Mary Wandor added an assist. Thallia Robles made nine saves in goal for Saint Mary's.

The Belles (1-3, 0-2 MIAA) look to bounce back when they travel to Kalamazoo on Monday night for a 7:00 p.m. MIAA tilt against the Hornets.

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